Monday link salad

A post full of random stuff today:

Funny fashion memes. Anna Wintour meets Mean Girls, anyone? Also:

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Strange things people found in walls. Money and shoes, I get (sort of), but fingernail clippings and hair?

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This old post from ex literary agent (now author), Nathan Bransford that offers a really useful tip for figuring out your novel: creating one-sentence, one-paragraph, and two-paragraph pitches.

A query is basically a two paragraph pitch with some query-related detail. But sometimes you'll want to use a one sentence pitch (for a bio, if you're into that whole brevity thing), or a one paragraph pitch (for briefly describing in real life conversation when you don't want someone's eyes to glaze over). 

My feeling: get it all out of the way at once. Save yourself the headache and come up with a one sentence, one paragraph, and two paragraph pitch before you even start to query. Then: practice and memorize your pitches. You never know when you're going to need them.

Speaking from experience, it really does help to have a pitch ready even before you plunge into the novel. You get a clearer sense of where your story is going, what the conflict is, and what the stakes are. You also get to pare down your character to his/her most basic trait, the one that defines her and her actions, and the one that you as a writer set out to change by the end of the story.

I should have done that for Neverland. (Actually, I should have done that for all my novels.) Maybe then I wouldn't have gotten stuck.

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Also, I've started blogging for work.



One of the plus points of working for an online fashion retailer is that I get to fangirl over fashion trends and celebrity styles unabashedly in the name of work and write about them. Is this the marrying of two loves?

I've written quite a number of these articles so far, but the team is selective about what goes on the blog, and when. Here is one article I wrote about "must-have tops". 

Of course, they're not really must-haves -- people just write that to get you to read the article ;0)

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Blood Promise, otherwise known as The Manuscript That Will Not Yield, is in the midst of some radical changes right now. I intend to rip out the awful saggy middle and whip it into something that will put Victoria's Secret models to shame ... 

Okay, that's quite a mean feat. I mean, it'll be really hard to top this:

Favourite VS angel ever, Doutzen Kroes.

But it's okay. Because I HAVE A PLAN NOW. So let's do this.

In the meantime, I will heed this advice.

And this: 

And keep happy with these:

from allthingsshabbyandbeautiful.tumblr.com

Peter Pan quote

Oh, stop. What are you trying to do to me?!

by Gelrev Ongbico

The view from the pier yesterday

Also, I'm really loving D&E's new album. Aside from When You Cry, which I shared in an earlier post, this song, Teenage Queen, is another favourite. So catchy and upbeat!

And on that note, have a great week, everyone! :0)

monday happy things!

So, a few things:

1. Singapore is in bloom!

Said it before, and I'll say it again. The world is more beautiful with flowers in it.


2. On a whim, Dad and I visited the zoo on his birthday last Saturday. Pictures will come ... soon enough. But first, this:

Saturdays - this polar bear is doing it right.

3. I am thisclose to giving up on Neverland.



I know, I know. Yet another story that didn't make it. (To be fair, I might have given up on Until Morning - then called Mint - but I went back to complete it eventually.)

But I've tried to hold on for as long as I can - 198 pages, in fact - but I can't ignore the voice that's telling me this is all wrong - the story is told wrongly, the characters are weak, the conflict falls flat, there's no heart in the story anymore, and it's futile to press on for the sake of pressing on.

I hate quitting in the middle of a story. I feel like a failure, like oh there she goes again, unable to see things through and giving up halfway. But I know that the more I drag this on, the worse the story is going to get, and at some point I won't be able to return to the place where the story fell apart because I've lost sight of it.



So maybe I'm not going to divorce myself from Neverland completely, but I'm definitely taking a break from it. Problem is, I tried getting started on Indigo Tides, and my brain just got equally blocked.

Over at Writers Helping Writers, they pointed out three signs you should take a break from your novel, and I ticked every one of them:

... here’s the best thing about these often sad experiences. They really aren't failures. They're just stepping stones. As Samuel Beckett said: Try again. Fail again. Fail better. 

If you feel you're writing a dead-end story, take a moment to evaluate your future with it. More likely than not, you're going to keep on writing, edit your way to a fabulous book, and end your relationship with this story on a victorious note. But if it doesn't quite work out that way—if you realize you need to move on—don't count it as a failure. Close the file on your computer, take stock of what you've learned, and move on to write your next masterpiece.

Rachel Coker over at Go Teen Writers offers equally upbeat advice.

But then YA writer Malinda Lo, advises against giving up during the drafting stage:

I think the main thing that causes discouragement during the drafting stage is the idea that writing a novel is an exciting, fun-filled, joyful experience full of blissful, genius inspiration and creativity. Any writer who sits down expecting this experience is going to be thoroughly disappointed and will probably want to give up.

For years and years I struggled with discouragement because those moments of genius came so few and far between. I'd have fabulous ideas and launch right into writing novels, and a few chapters in I'd come to a screeching halt when all the fun seemed to get sucked right out of the story. I'd struggle with continuing for a little while, but soon I'd give up. 

In retrospect, I know why I gave up. Those story ideas weren't exciting enough. The characters weren't interesting enough. And I expected writing to be fun, because it used to be fun. 

I know exactly when writing ceased being 100% fun and games for me: when I decided that I wanted to get published. 

In my case, this is how I learned how to not get so discouraged that I wanted to give up: 

I chose to write a story that I'd wanted to write forever: a retelling of Cinderella.
When I encountered things in life that forced me to stop writing for awhile, I tried to not beat myself up about not writing.
When I felt ready to write again, I picked up from where I'd left off.
I stopped expecting writing to be 100% fun and games.
I didn't give myself a deadline; I let myself take my time.
I didn't start other projects when things got difficult.
I didn't allow myself to think about getting published while writing the first draft. I wrote the story for me.

Yes, maybe some distance will help. Neverland, I will be back! (I promise.)

Meanwhile, if you're experiencing a brain fart like I am right now, here's something to chase the writer's blues away.

Also, Mondays may be the busiest day of the week, but there's always time for a little happy:

Super Junior M is back! And Donghae is in glasses! 

Oh, Park Bom!

Remember when Stefan was the Ripper?

A very liberating quote

A very empowering quote

Have a great week, everyone! :0)

I'm back! (Or: a quick summary of my Taiwan trip before the photo-dumping)

Man, I've missed home. Home with its wireless network EVERYWHERE, home with its palatable food, and home with its clean, familiar environment.

Taiwan wasn't too bad, but I remember enjoying South Korea more. I guess the Taiwan experience varies with different people, but for me the hotels were the best part of the trip, with their hot springs and breakfast buffets.


Hot spring in our bathroom at Fleur de Chine, which overlooks the Sun Moon Lake

Mmm, sashimi

I know a lot of people loooove the street food in Taiwan, but I found it pretty hard to get used to it. My dad and I aren't really into street snacks from night markets, so we spent most of our time taking photos and chilling in cafes while the rest were going crazy with oyster vermicelli, bubble tea, fried chicken schnitzel and Taiwan sausages.

We survived on Starbucks and 7 Eleven, the latter for snacks like yoghurt and apples and nuts. The only unhealthy street food I tried was the barbequed corn on the cob, which turned out to be drenched in oil and barbeque sauce.

Shopping was okay - I got a pair of shoes, a Kindle sleeve and a trenchcoat (whee!) - but anything from international brands are crazy expensive since Taiwan imposes a 120% import tax, so a pair of Converses costs upwards of S$100. Anything locally made, though, was a steal.

The people were nice - the service they provide is definitely better than that in Singapore, so that's a plus. I got to practice my rusty Mandarin, chatting with the service staff.

Environment wise, Taipei was the place that came closer to what I was expecting. Halfway through the trip, my dad and I got pretty nostalgic for Jeju Island and Seoul, and started making plans to go back. (YAY!)

I'll see you again, lovely

That's all for now! I know I promised lots of photos, but I've been swamped with emails since this morning. One week away from work, and it's a mad rush to catch up on everything. So photos will come in a bit, pinky swear!

In the meantime, it's Monday! I'm still in a holiday mood, so here are some happy things.



by Crosby Newell Bonsall

Have a great week, everyone! :0)

Monday mood-lifters!

It's Monday again and we're halfway through March!

That's the spirit.

I'll admit my mood flagged a little over the weekend, partly because of my back injury*, partly because of the rain that has returned after two months of dry spell**, and partly because of this remark that I could care less about - "You should work on something more meaningful than your novels. Don't waste your time on something that yields nothing."***

* Just heal completely already!

** Yes, goodbye haze, and good riddance - but hello, dark clouds and slippery floors. I think I've developed a phobia after this recent fall.

*** First off, meaningful for whom? And how do you define meaningful - by its monetary returns? Does that mean I should only devote all my time to things that I get paid for? Why should writing a story be considered a waste of time if it makes me happy and no one is hurting from it (unless, of course, my stories suck and they hated it)?

Ugh. Writing a novel is an endeavour that's trying and lonely enough without the naysayers and their two cents' worth on something they don't quite understand.

So yes, mood-lifters are very much needed.

Some inordinate amount of cuteness from this little munchkin. Look at those cheeks!

I must have watched this at least twenty times since I first came across it last Saturday. I love her unabashed smile - so much innocence in a world where we need to educate children to say no to strangers.

Speaking of cute,

What? He's a guilty pleasure, okay?

The Snow Queen, illustrated by Natalia Salienco

Just finished reading Cold Spell over the weekend, and it's good enough for me to want to own it. It's plot heavy, but the prose has improved a lot since Jackson Pearce's first book.

Plus, more than anything, I'm taken by the idea of childhood best friends turned lovers (as in the illustration above). The romance between Ginny and Kai is so sweet and pure in the story, and the love they have for each other is believable and something you want to root for all the way till the end - which is particularly important since that's an integral part of The Snow Queen.

Also, there's a good buildup towards the climax, where every secondary character and villain came into play so there wasn't any plot device or purple prose or extraneous anything. No flab at all! Although that could be the work of the editor.

But still, a vast improvement from the first book, Sisters Red, which was kinda forgettable, to be honest (sorry!).

Yes, take me to Neverland where the words will flow.

I'm going through a Gilmore phase right now. Again. Yes, I'm rewatching it. You can never watch Gilmore Girls too much.

See, things don't look so bad already. I mean, on the bright side:

1. The injury is healing. Slowly, but at least it's healing.

2. No more baking in the insane heat. And no more haze. Always a good thing.

3.

Because good books are the best defence against folks who don't like reading and think that fiction is a waste of time.

And while I'm at it, I shall

Because

Rumi

Have a great week, everyone! :0)